Testimonials

"This was my second time doing a nutrition challenge. I had great results the first time, so I really wanted to do it again. I find that's it's pretty easy to stick with when I meal plan or have snacks in the house that I know will fit within my macros. This time around it was less of a struggle in the beginning since I was already pretty familiar with good food options for me."

- BECKY C., CROSSFITTER SINCE 2016

"I joined Steel Fox CrossFit in November 2016 and it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Steel Fox is not just a gym or a CrossFit box, it is a community of amazing people, where coaches and members help each other to achieve whatever their goal may be.

It was just right after college when I stopped playing sports and adopted an unhealthy sedentary lifestyle. In the summer of 2015, 10 years after my graduation, I found my self weighing over 300 lbs and decided to really do something about it. I went on a diet trying to figure things out on my own. Being determined to lose the weight and as a compliment to my diet, I joined a local gym chain as I had done a few times in the past but the feeling was always the same. I was bored and not motivated to go. I was making some progress though by keeping up with a healthy diet and I lost 70 lbs since I started but I was hitting a plateau. That’s when a co-worker spoke to me about CrossFit and I decided to give it a shot.

After researching local boxes online, Steel Fox looked just right for my schedule so I called Rita up, talked to her about what I am trying to accomplish and she signed me up a for trial class. It was a Saturday morning partner WOD that I’ll never forget! Box jumps, wall walks, overhead plate carries, rowing, kettle bell swings, etc. Most of those things, I had never done before and I didn’t think that I was capable of doing in high intensity but I proved myself wrong.

I got through that first workout the best way I could, determined to make some progress. It has now almost been 5 months and I feel significantly stronger and healthier. I’m currently participating in the nutrition challenge and so far I have seen considerable results . Overall since I joined Steel Fox CrossFit, I have overcome the plateau, losing an additional 35 lbs and over 8% body fat.

Another thing that I find amazing is all the tools that are provided to us. Rita and the team at Steel Fox really care about our progress and keep constantly giving us new tools so we can evolve in our training and improve our lifestyle. Crossover Symmetry, ROMWOD, nutrition challenges, and a variety of seminars are just some examples.

Coaching team Rita, Christian and Dana are just amazing. They are always there for us, giving us advise and really care about seeing every member making progress. Diane and Davis at administration and maintenance are always welcoming and pleasant.

Steel Fox CrossFit is not just a gym, it truly is an amazing community of people and I consider myself very lucky to be a part of it!"

- Constantine X., Crossfitter since 2016

"Thank you to Rita and all the coaches at Steel Fox CrossFit. I began this Nutrition Challenge with no prior knowledge of counting macros. With Rita's guidance, sticking to my meal plan, and CrossFit 3-4 times a week I was able to exceed all my goals. I have a new outlook on fueling by body with healthy foods and knowing when to eat, especially after a WOD. The amount of strength I was able to achieve on the Nutrition Challenge still has me excited and eager to want more."

– Aubrey M., CROSSFITTER SINCE 2016

“I have been at SteelFox CrossFit since Thanksgiving 2015 and hands-down, the community here is the best. Every single person is friendly and welcoming and ready to crush the day’s workout. Starting my day off with such a great group of people really sets the bar high for the rest of my day!

Recently, I decided to do a 90 Day Nutrition Challenge, about which I was pretty apprehensive. I had done previous challenges, and I always started out strong and then hit the halfway mark and fell off the bandwagon. This time, I attribute my success to the fact that it was a partner challenge– something I had never experienced before. It was a new and clever Rita twist. My partner checked in on me all the time, let me complain and moan about how much I wanted to eat pizza, and motivated me to do extra work in order to attack my biggest weaknesses in the gym. So not only did my partner keep me mentally sane, she also kept me accountable for attending class and working on those weaknesses.Additionally, we had a really close group of ladies that helped keep me on track. We cheered each other on during workouts, shared tips on how to make eggs and chicken taste better, and compared protein bars until we found ones that didn’t taste like chalk. We even nicknamed the Nutritional Challenge the “Nut” Challenge because I think we all went little nuts at some point during the 90 days! Knowing that I wasn’t alone struggling with the nutritional side of things in combination with having such a supportive and fun group around me definitely helped me hit my goals for the Challenge.I was also a little concerned how this Challenge would impact my lifts and overall strength. I should not have worried. Rita’s macro nutrition program and regular workout programming proved that I could limit my carbs (goodbye pizza!) and still make my #gainz in the gym. Rita also created and programmed a special women’s only class to further help us in our strength and muscle endurance goals.

I truly believe it was the community and the support of the fellow members at SteelFox that kept me sticking to Rita’s nutrition program throughout those 90 days (Thanksgiving included!).”

– Becca H., CrossFitting at SteelFox CrossFit since 2015

“I have been a personal training client of Rita’s since 2013. I have trained with other trainers over the years, but started working out with Rita as my former trainer (another female CrossFitter) relocated and recommended Rita to me. I am so glad she did! I’ve worked with several trainers over the years and I can say without hesitation that Rita is one of the best.

Rita is very professional during workouts and she is never just “going through the motions.” She focuses on me for the full hour and pushes me to go beyond what I think I am capable of. What I like best about Rita and her approach is that she NEVER, and I mean NEVER, repeats a workout; as a result, I never get bored and my body never plateaus. Rita introduced more CrossFit movements into my routine which I love and it has definitely made me stronger and more fit. A goal I’ve always had but never achieved was getting some abs! When I told Rita this, she put me on a macronutrient focused diet (unfortunately diet/nutrition is part of the formula and the hardest part), she held me accountable and voila, 3 months later (at age 58) I could see my abs!

Whether you choose personal training, CrossFit, or Steel-Fit, Rita has a program that will help you reach your fitness goals IF you do the work!”

– Bob O., Personal Training since 2013

“I’ve been working out at Steel Fox, doing Steel-Fit classes since August 2015. I began going 2 times a week and then added a third day, which was the best thing I ever did! The workouts are always challenging and fun and the coaches are there with you encouraging you every step of the workout. SteelFox has changed my lifestyle for sure! I feel stronger, healthier and just all around better about myself. Exercise is important, but eating healthy goes hand in hand with it! I have a long way to go…but I feel that I’ve taken that first step and I am looking forward to continuing my fitness journey!”

– CHRISTINE G., STEEL-FITTER SINCE AUGUST 2015

“If you have committed to the CrossFit world then you have committed to a healthier lifestyle, which as we all know includes both fitness and diet. I joined the 90-day nutrition challenge at Steel Fox CrossFit. As with every new change in diet the first two weeks are the toughest. Take Rita’s advice—prepare week by week. If you slip up here and there, move on, workout harder, get move on. Once you get through this and start seeing the results and feeling better in your workout it becomes your fuel! As a CrossFitter (yes we are all CrossFitters)— we show up, we do the WODs, we compete with ourselves (and others ;)), we have earned the title! So 90 days is just the beginning to how we were supposed to be treating ourselves. After fighting the scale all my life SteelFox CrossFit has finally given me the tools to a balanced lifestyle so 90 days with the nutrition challenge = totally worth it!!!!

Rita Patnode, owner of Steel Fox CrossFit wants to help you achieve your goals! Women, forget all those myths you hear about lifting makes you bulking—never looked or felt better since joining Steel Fox CrossFit! There is a great team atmosphere—no judgement, only encouragement!!”

– AMY C., CROSSFITTER SINCE SEPTEMBER 2015

“I joined Steel Fox CrossFit in December 2015 to give it a shot and see if it could help me get back into shape after trying a lot of regular gym sessions. I was looking for something that could effectively give me results. I had no idea what CrossFit, but thought that there would be a lot of cardio and I was proved wrong on the day one. I was so amazed at the whole training experience, which introduced me to different exercises I had never heard of.

At first, I wanted to join for a month and see the results and then think about continuing, and here I am still consistently coming to classes. I have come a very long way and I can still remember the times I used to give up. After the 1st month I could see a change, actually a big change where I lost 7 pounds which got me down from 210 to 203 pounds. After these initial results, I felt a lot stronger and more confident. Later when Rita told me about the nutrition challenge, I wanted to try it after seeing other people’s results. It’s the sheer determination and most importantly the guidance and encouragement you get from the coaches that helps you succeed. It’s definitely been an experience of a lifetime and now I’m in love with CrossFit and I can’t think of myself not doing it, after all I hit my best numbers ever in my life (wt: 192lbs, B.F: 20% down from 24%) and continue to get better.

Steel Fox is the first box I have ever been to and can’t think of any other place better for me. The coaches are always there encouraging and motivating you and the fellow CrossFitters are very friendly. This kind of environment gives you the experience of pushing the limits and team spirit.”